Breaking Point
by myeveryday
Summary: Troy and Gabriella witness a murder and must go into the Witness Protection Program. They become Trevor Daniels and Corrie Simon, and have to pretend to be together. Will the masquerade become real? Will the murderer find them? Cross over with Suite Life.
1. Splattered With Blood

Arms pumped and legs strode as Troy and Gabriella ran down the dark and deserted street. Sweat trickled down both teenagers foreheads as they skidded to a stop in front of the police station. Without hesitation, both seniors ran into the building.

"May I help you?" asked the police officer at the front desk. He stared at the two teenagers oddly.

"Yes. You can get some officers down at East High right now," Troy said, panting.

The officer looked at Troy wildely. "Why?"

"Look, we don't have time to explain," Troy said, glacing over at his sobbing best friend. "But if you go to East High, you'll find a dead man and a man running around the school with a gun. And if you don't find the man, it probably means that he escaped."

The police officer looked at Troy skeptically. That's when he noticed the girl standing next to him. The young woman's body was racking with sobs, her clothes were splattered with blood. Looking over at the Troy, he saw that Troy's clothes were splattered with blood as well. He picked up the phone and called several SWAT teams to go to East High.

"You two better come with me," said the police officer. He led Gabriella and Troy into the back, where they were put into a waiting room. Coffee and donughts were placed in front of them, but neither touched them.

Troy watched Gabriella shake in the seat. She had been his best friend since they were two. And, secretly… has also been the love of his life. He couldn't bear to see her like this. Slowly, Troy reached over and wrapped an arm around her.

Gabriella sank into his embrace, still sobbing. Troy whispered comforting words to her. Despite what had happened, Gabriella felt better. But only a little.

Secretly, she had been in love with Troy her whole life… and she didn't know what to do about it. But now wasn't the time for that.

Just then, a police officer walked into the room. "Alright. I need you to tell me exactly what happened."

Troy looked over at the still sobbing Gabriella before turning back to the officer. Troy took a deep breath and began to account exactly what happened…

_Flashback_

_Gabriella aimed the ball at the hoop and threw it. It swished through the net. Just then, Troy came up behind her and grabbed her sides. Gabriella shreiked in shock and turned to face Troy._

_"Troy!" Gabriella said sternly, but a smile was on her face all the same. "You guys had a great practice."_

_"Thanks. The guys want to teach you basketball," Troy said with a smile._

_"Well, then tell them that I'll let them teach me," Gabriella said._

_"It's about time you let them teach you!" Troy said. He linked arms with Gabriella and they began to walk to the door. Just then, the student teacher, Brian Martain, walked into the gym._

_"Troy, would you mind locking up for me?" Mr. Martain asked. "Hello, Gabriella."_

_"Hi, Mr. Martain," Gabriella said._

_"Sure, I'll lock up Mr. Martain," Troy said. Mr. Martain tossed the keys to Troy. Mr. Martain upened his mouth to thank Troy, but then someone burst through the gym doors._

_"NO ONE MOVE!" the man shouted, brandishing a gun in the air. Troy felt Gabriella freeze next to him, and he also felt his own body tense up. As for Mr. Martain, he had a look of confusion on his face._

_"Rick? What are you diong here?" Mr. Martain said._

_"Oh, don't you play dumb with me!" The man, Rick apparently, shouted, still waving the gun in the air._

_"Rick, put the gun down," Mr. Martain said calmly._

_"Brian, don't tell me WHAT TO DO!" Rick shouted._

_"M-m-mr. M-m-martain, w-who i-is t-t-this?" Gabriella stuttered, clutching Troy's arm tightly._

_"SHUT UP!" Rick yelled, pointing the gun at Gabriella. Troy instinctily moved in front of Gabriella, and Rick smirked at him._

_"Oh, are you going to protect your little girlfriend?" he scoffed. "Well, I'll shoot both of you!"_

_"Rick, calm down!" Mr.Martain demanded. He turned to Gabriella and Troy. "This is my older brother, Rick Martain." Gabriella stared at both Rick and__ Mr. Martain. They did have a resemblance. _

_"Yes, I'm his older brother!" Rick yelled. "But he was treated like the older brother! He always got everything he wanted!"_

_"Rick, is that what this is about?" Mr. Martain demanded. _

_"You always got everything better than me!" Rick shouted. He had a crazed look on his face, and the gun was finally still. "Mom and Dad always told me that I should be more like you! "Why can't you be more like your brother?" They would say! Do you know how much that hurt me? I was torn apart by my own family!"_

_"Rick, we talk about this!" Mr. Martain yelled. "Please." But Rick brought the gun up and…_

_He began to shoot at Mr. Martain wildely. _

_Blood splattered all over Troy and Gabriella. Troy did the first thing that came to mind. He began to run, dragging Gabriella with him. They ran through the halls, and Rick shot at both teenagers as they ran. Somehow, they managed to miss all of the bullets. They ran out of the school and down the street, go__i__ng__ straight to the police station._

_"I'll get you!" Rick shouted into the dark night. "You won't get away from me!" _

_End Flashback_

"… and that's what happened," Troy finished. Gabriella's body was shaking again after hearing the story. "Shh, Gabriella," Troy added, grabbing Gabriella's hand.

The officer looked down at his clip board where he had written notes, and then stood up. "Alright, I'm going up front to see if they came back yet. You two sit here."

Gabriella looked up at Troy. "What do you think will happen, Troy?"

"Gabby, we'll be just fine," Troy said.

"I hope so," Gabriella whispered.

Xx0o0xX

Half and hour later, two police officers came into the room. "We found the body of Brian Martain," one of the officers said.

Gabriella let out a strangled sob, and Troy felt a tear come down his cheek. Mr. Martain had been a great teacher, and it was horrible to watch him be murdred.

"Unfortuneately, Rick Martain has gotten away. We found a secruity camera that had the whole thing on it. And this is what we've decided to do."

"We're going to put you in the Witness Protection Program," said the other officer. "Your information is coming in right now."

"Where are we going?" Gabriella asked.

"Boston, Massachusettes."

Author's Note: I hope you guys like this story! I'm sorry if it's been done before, but, hey. What can I say? I try to be original! Please review!


	2. Trevor Daniels and Corrie Simon

Author's Note: You may notice a few details changed… I didn't want "Trevor" to be a merit scholar. Gabriella and Troy need to stay together… you get the point. Just in case you were wondering.

An hour later, yet another police officer came into the waiting room that Troy and Gabriella were sitting in.

"We have your files," the officer said.

"Files?" Troy questioned. Gabriella listened intently, staring at the officer with curious eyes.

"The files containing your new identity. As you know, the Witness Protection Program gives you a completely new identity. That's what I'm holding." And with that, the police officer slid the two files across the table. Gabriella picked up hers and opened it.

_Name: Corrie __Lynn Elizabeth __Simon_

_Career: Senior __at Our Lady of Perpetual Sorrow_

_Place of Residence: The Tipton Hotel__, Boston, Massachusetts_

_Cover Story: Corrie Simon is the young rich heiress to Simon Oils. She and her boyfriend, Trevor Daniels, have taken up residence at the Tipton Hotel in order to get away from the pressures of her father. Her father wants her to marry the son of another rich oil tycoon, but Corrie is madly in love with Trevor and has escaped with him._

"Who is Trevor Daniels?" Gabriella asked. She didn't want to be suddenly going out with someone she didn't know… Of course, she should've known better than that.

Troy looked down at his file.

_Name: Trevor Michael Daniels_

_Career: Senior at Our Lady of Perpetual Sorrow_

_Place of Residence: The Tipton Hotel, Boston, Massachusetts_

_Cover Story: Trevor has known Corrie all his life and has fallen madly in love with her. See Corrie Lynn file to describe what is going on between the two._

"Who's Corrie Lynn?" Troy asked. The police office gestured between the two.

"Trevor," the officer said, pointing to Troy. "Meet Corrie Lynn." He pointed to Gabriella. "Corrie Lynn, meet Trevor." Gabriella and Troy gaped at each other.

"WHAT?" they both said at the same time.

"Look, it was the best we could do on such short notice," the officer said, his tone getting a little annoyed. "You are both of age, so you can live together."

"What about our parents? Our friends?" Gabriella asked.

"Your parents are with officials as we speak. They're also being given fake indentidies."

"Can we talk to them?" Gabriella said.

"I'm sorry. It would be too risky."

"So we cant have any contact with our parents… at all?"

"I'm sorry."

Gabriella slumped back in her chair. "I didn't even get to say good bye," she whispered.

Troy put his arm around Gabriella. "Gabby, it'll be okay," he whispered to her. "When this is all over, we can go back to our parents. I promise."

"What if it doesn't end, Troy?"

"It will. I promise."

The officer looked between the two teens before standing up. "Your plane leaves in an hour."

Xx0o0xX

"So this is the Tipton?" Gabriella asked.

"Apparently so," Troy replied. He slipped an arm around Gabriella's shoulder as he walked into the hotel. They went up to the chek in desk where a bald African American man stood.

"Hi, I'm Corrie Simon," said Gabriella. "I have a reserved suit here?"

The bald man looked up, and he recognized her instantly. The New Mexico Alberquerque police had called him an hour ago and told him about the two teenagers coming to stay at his hotel. He also knew about their true identities and what had happen.

"Ah, yes. I'm Marian Moseby, and I'll be your gaurdian til further notice. I will personally show you where your suite is," Moseby said. Troy and Gabriella nodded their heads and followed Moseby up to the elevator.

Moseby opened the door to their rather impressive suite and handed them the room keys. "This is the most secure room in all of the hotel. We'll have gaurds patrolling the hallway at night, and someone will check in with you at every hour. It could either be a bell boy or myself. We'll try to make your stay here at the Tipton as comfortable as we can." Despite the formal words that the man was speaking, Troy and Gabriella could see that the man had a warm heart. Moseby left and closed the door behind him.

"This is a very nice suite," Troy said.

"Yes, it is," Gabriella looked around in amazment. There was a full kitchen, a full living room with a dining quarter, a large bathroom, and one bedroom. Wait… one bedroom. Gabriella walked into the bedroom and inspected it. It had one bed, neatly made and a spacious area complete with dresser drawers and a TV. There was a knock at the door and Gabriella went to open it. Troy was busy inspecting the fully stocked fridge.

"Hi. We heard about our new neighbors and wanted to say hello." A blonde woman and two blonde boys stood in the door of Gabriella and Troy's suite.

"Hello," Gabriella said. "I'm Gab… Uh… Corrie Simon." Gabriella dropped the Lynn part. It was just too long.

"I'm Carrie Martain and these are my two twin boys, Zach and Cody. If you here any yelling, screaming, thumping, things breaking and/or exploding, that would be these two." Both twins smiled mischevioiusly and thumped fists with each other. Their mother looked down at them sternly before handing over a plate of browines.

"You didn't have to," Gabriella said, taking the browines from Carrie.

"Oh, I wanted to," Carrie said. "And it was buy one get one free at Cheap Charlie's," she added. Gabriella laughed. She had a feeling that she would like this woman.

"Gab… uh Corrie, who's at the door?" Troy called from the kitchen.

"Come see for yourself!" Gabriella called back.

Troy came to the front door. "This is Carrie, Zach, and Cody Martain. This is my boyfriend Tro.. Trevor."

Martain… why did that name sound so familiar? Then it clicked. "Martain? Would you happen to have any relation to Brian Martain?" Troy asked.

Gabriella stomped on his foot. "Never mind," she said quickly. "Do you live here?" Carrie looked from Troy to Gabriella.

"Aren't you two a little young to be living in a suite by yourselves?" she said. "Not that it's any of my business, and I'm not your mother, but…"

"We're 18, if that's what you mean," Troy said. "We've had a hard time the past couple of hours and…"

Carrie held up her hand. "I didn't mean to intrude," she said. "Yes, I do live here," she added. "I'm the hotel singer."

"Singer? Oh, Trevor and I love to sing!" Gabriella exclaimed. She slapped a hand over her mouth, her eyes going wide. She didn't mean to say that! Troy sent her a sharp look.

"Well let's hope that you sound better than my mom in the shower," Zach said.

Carrie glared at her son. "Keep it up and you won't have any dessert," she said sternly. Zach kept his mouth shut, but the smirk remained on his mouth. "If you enjoy singing, come down to the ballroom on Friday night. We're holdng a kareoke contest. Feel free to join."

Gabriella smiled. "Thank you. We'll be sure to come down." Troy sent another sharp look at Gabriella. She shrugged her shoulders a little.

Carrie looked down at her watch. "Oh, look at the time!" she exclaimed. "I've gotta take you two to your basketball practice."

Troy perked up. "You guys play basketball?"

"Yes," Zach said. "Well, I do, anyway. Cody just sits on the bench. No offense, or anything."

"You know something?" Cody said. "Even if you say that, I'm still offened."

"Enough, you two," Carrie said. "We'll see you later." Gabriella and Troy waved goodbye and shut the door as Carrie and the twins left. Gabriella turned to Troy.

"Why would you even _say_ anything about the Martains? You could be putting their lives in danger!" Gabriella glared at Troy. "We haven't even been here for more than an hour and you already almost blew our cover."

"Well, what about you? "Oh, Trevor and I love to sing!"" Troy said, adopting a girly voice. "You could've blown our cover to, you know!"

"What about your enthusiasim over basketball? Everyone in Alberquerque knows that you're the king of basketball!"

"Can I help it if I love the sport?"

Gabriella slumped over on the arm of the couch. "Look, Troy," she said quietly. "I don't want to fight with you. I'm tired, and I haven't had any sleep in the past 24 hours. We start our new school tomorrow. You can play basketball if you want to." She sighed. "I gonna go to bed."

Troy watched as Gabriella walked into the bedroom and shut the door. Could he help it if he was a little tense? Troy was knocked from his thoughts when there was another knock at the door. Troy opened it to find Moseby standing there.

"I just wanted to see how you were doing," Moseby said.

Troy sighed. "We're dong okay, I guess." Troy sat back on the couch and put his head in his hands. Gabriella was right. Not even an hour in, and he had almost blown their cover.

"Troy," Moseby said, sitting next to him on the couch. "Did you get into a fight with Gabriella?"

"I think it would be better if you called us Trevor and Corrie, just to get used to it, Moseby," Troy said. "And yes, I did get in a fight with her," he added softly.

"Well… "Trevor", you and "Corrie" have been through a lot in the past 24 hours. It's not surprising that you got into a fight. I suggest that you go in there and comfort her. You are, after all, supposed to be her boyfriend."

Troy smiled. "Thanks, Moseby," he said.

"I try to help." Moseby got up and left the suite, shutting to door behind him. Troy got up and walked to the bedroom door, opening it quietly.

Gabriella layed on the bed, in her pajamas, her back facing the door. Troy took off his jeans so he was just in his T-shirt and boxers. He kicked his shoes to the side and climbed into the bed with Gabriella, slipping under the covers. He draped an arm around her waist and nestled his mouth next to her ear.

"We'll make it through this," he whispered.

Author's Note: I hope you all liked this chapter! Please review!


	3. A Sharpay Double

Author's Note: Just wanted to let you know, High School Musical 2 never happened in this story. And when you see You Are the Music in Me, I just wanted to let you know that Kelsey had written it for them right before they left. That's all. Oh yeah, and Sharpay doesn't want any revenge. Just wanted to let you know! Sorry that I spelled Martin and Carey wrong!

"When I hear my favorite song _(Favorite song)_

I know that we belong _(We belong)_

You are the music in me

Yeah it's living in all of us

It's brought us here because _(Here because) _

You are the music in me

Na na na na _(Ohh yeah)_

Na na na na _(Ohh yeah)_

Na na na na

You are the music in me _(Yeah)_"

Troy and Gabriella finished singing the song as Carey clapped.

"You guys are fantastic!" she exclaimed. Gabriella blushed and looked down at her feet.

"Thanks," she and Troy said in unison.

"We never really planned on singing," Troy said with a laugh, remembering their first meeting.

"You guys make such a good couple," Carey said softly. "Such great chemistry."

Gabriella and Troy each looked down at their feet. "I wish," both said softly.

Carey, Gabriella, and Troy looked at each other. "What was that?" they said in unison.

"Nothing," Troy and Gabriella replied at the same time. Then they both exchanged glances. Carey looked at both of them oddly, and she was about to say something, when two girls burst into the room.

"You guys are great!" said a blond girl. "Where did you get that song?"

"Oh, our friend Kelsey wrote it for us right before we came here," Gabriella said. Not a lie. Kelsey had given Troy and Gabriella the sheets of music two days before Mr. Martin was murdered.

"Oh my god, it was so amazingcal!" a dark haired girl shouted, clapping her hands together. Troy and Gabriella exchanged glances. Wow. This girl must be _special_.

"I'm Maddie Fitzpatrick," said the blond girl.

"And I'm London Tipton! You know, the _Tipton_ hotel? I'm London _Tipton_! Like the _Tipton_ Hotel? I'm London _Tipton_! You know, like the _Tipton_—"

"Okay, London! I think they get it," Maddie said. Gabriella stifled a giggle as Troy introduced them.

"I'm Trevor Daniels and this is Corrie Simon," Troy said, pointing to both him and Gabriella.

"So you guys just got here?" London asked.

"Yesterday, actually," Gabriella said, managing to choke back her laughs. "We start school tomorrow."

"Where do you go?" Maddie asked.

Gabriella glanced at Troy, but she saw that he was staring at Maddie weirdly. "We… go to Our Lady of Perpetual Sorrow."

"Are you seniors?"

"Yeah."

"Oh, Maddie and I go there!" London said. "Wait until you see the uniforms. They're hideous! I tried to make them more fashionable, but they wouldn't let me. They said it was against "the rules."" London held up her fingers and made quotations when she said "the rules." "Darn nuns!"

Gabriella glanced at her watch and looked back up at Troy, who was still staring at Maddie. Maddie had noticed that Troy was staring at her and was now giggling. Gabriella fought down the jealousy that was rising in her. I mean, it wasn't like her and Troy were _actually_ going out. They were best friends! She didn't like him like that!

Right?

Gabriella shook herself out of her revere and touched Troy's shoulder. "We should be getting to dinner," she said.

"Oh yeah. Do you want to order room service?" Troy asked.

"Sure," Gabriella replied. She turned to Maddie and London. "It was nice meeting you!"

"You too!" they both called back.

As they were leaving, Troy bent down a little so he could whisper into Gabriella's ear. "Was it just me, or did Maddie look a lot like Sharpay?"

Xx0o0xX

The next day, Esteban had delivered Gabriella and Troy's uniforms. Gabriella put the one she got on and walked out into the living room where Troy was sitting fiddling with his tie.

"Is Our Lady of Perpetual Sorrow a Catholic school?" Troy asked, yanking on his tie.

"Yes. Why?"

"Gabby, I don't want to wear a tie!" Troy complained.

"I'm sure you don't have to all the time," Gabriella said. "In fact, I was talking to Maddie yesterday, and she said that the tie and the blazer were optional for boys. So…" Gabriella gently took off Troy's tie and lifted it from around his neck. Then she placed her hands on his shoulders and pushed the blazer back gently. Troy shivered as her hands ran over his shoulders. "We're just going to put these in the bedroom. You don't need to wear these."

"Yes!" Troy exclaimed, pumping his fist.

Gabriella rolled her eyes and grabbed Troy's hand, leading him downstairs. Holding hands, the two got down to the lobby and went out to their car. Maddie was going with London, and they were going to meet them at the school.

Troy pulled up at the school and he and Gabriella got out of the car, hoisting their back packs over their shoulders.

"It looks kind of… dark," Troy said.

"Don't worry. I went to a Catholic school before I went to East High. They're actually not that bad," Gabriella said, grabbing his hand. Troy let out a relieved breath, but mostly because Gabriella was holding his hand. Just her touch could make him relax. It was amazing.

"Oh my god, there she is!" someone shouted. A group of kids rushed past Gabriella and Troy and up to a sleek black limo. London and Maddie got out of it. London held up her hands, but all the same, she had a smile on her face.

"I know you're all excited to see me," London said. "But I have to show my new friends around." She gestured to Troy and Gabriella, and the mob of students rushed over to them.

"Oh my gosh, you know London Tipton?!" I freshman shouted.

Gabriella looked around wildly for a way out of the mass of students, but Troy smiled. He got mobbed by screaming cheerleaders on a regular bases back at East High.

"Yes, we know London Tipton," he said in a calm voice. "And now, we have to go to class. Would you mind letting us get through?" The crowd parted and Troy grabbed Gabriella's hand. She was looking at him in awe. Despite all of the times he's done it, it's never gotten old. London and Maddie led them into the school, and a mass of navy blue followed them.

Xx0o0xX

"Ah, it seems that we have two new students," said Sister Dominick. "Maddie," she said in a harsh voice. "And London," Sister Dominick said in a much sweeter voice, "I trust that you'll show our new students around."

"Of course, Sister Dominick," Maddie said respectfully.

"Yeah, sure, whatever," London said, inspecting her nails.

"Our new students are Trevor Daniels and Corrie Simon," Sister Dominick said, gesturing to Troy and Gabriella. "I hope you'll make their time at Our Lady of Perpetual Sorrow an exciting one."

Troy and Gabriella glanced at each other. They had enough excitement at their old school.

"Thank you so much for the kind introduction, Sister Dominick," Gabriella said nicely.

"Oh, you're welcome, Corrie," Sister Dominick said sweetly. "There are two open seats near London and Maddie. You may sit there." Troy and Gabriella picked up their bags and walked over to the two open desks. They sat down, and Gabriella leaned over to Troy.

"You're right," she whispered. "Maddie does look a lot like Sharpay!"

Troy smiled triumphantly. "Told ya!"

Xx0o0xX

The rest of the day passed rather uneventfully. Troy and Gabriella went back to the hotel, where they saw that Moseby was talking to a very upset Carey. Troy and Gabriella rushed over to them.

"What's wrong, Carey?" Gabriella asked, putting a hand on Carey's shoulder.

"My… brofer… he… diiiiiiiiiieeeeeeeeeee!!!!!" Carey wailed, her stuffy nose giving her a speech impediment.

"Your brother died?" Gabriella said softly. "I'm so sorry."

"You actually understood that?" Troy whispered in amazement. Gabriella shrugged her shoulders.

"It wasn't that hard." Troy shrugged his shoulder and turned back to Carey.

"I'm sorry for your loss," Troy said. "What was your brother's name?"

"Brian," Carey sniffed. "Brian Martin."

Author's Note: I hope you all liked this chapter! And I'm sorry for all the spelling mistakes! Review please! Oh yeah, a new chapter for Right on Track should be up sometime between tomorrow and Wednesday. I'm sorry for the long wait! Please don't forget to review! Thanks!


	4. Brown Eyes Met Blue

"Gabriella, why didn't we make the connection?" Troy demanded, pacing the hotel room. Gabriella sat on the bed, staring at the floor.

"Gabriella?" Troy said. He kneeled down in front of her. "Gabriella?"

"Troy… what if… what if he comes… and sees us?" Gabriella whispered.

Troy's brow furrowed. "What do you mean?"

"He's on the run. What if he comes here for help from Carey? He'll see us and… and… who know what'll happen!"

"Gabby, I don't think that Carey knows that Rick killed Brian. That her brother killed her other brother. We shouldn't say anything… and if Rick does come, then we'll just stay in this room. We'll have everything that we need. Please don't worry."

"Troy, we have a murderer out for us! You can't possibly sit there and tell me not to worry!"

"Gabriella," Troy sighed. "Gabriella, all we have to do is stay here. We can't do much more than that. Please… we'll talk to Moseby about it." Gabriella still looked doubtful. Troy took her face into his hands and gently lifted it so she would look into his eyes. "Gabby, we have the best security in all of Boston. I don't think he'll be able to get in."

Just then, there was banging in the ceiling above them. Gabriella grabbed Troy and he held her against him protectively. They didn't move… it was like they couldn't. Suddenly, two people crashed through the vent. They were yelling incoherent things at each other. Troy finally managed to see who was rolling around on the floor.

"Zach! Cody!" Troy yelled.

Both twins stopped yelling and screaming. They looked up at him. "Oh, hey Trevor," Zach said.

"Sorry for "dropping in"," Cody said, laughing. Zach hit him over the head.

"Leave the funny stuff to me," he said, standing up. He looked over to Gabriella, who had tears running down her cheeks.

"Corrie, what's wrong?" Cody asked, voicing Zach's thoughts.

Gabriella ignored him. "See, Troy!" she shouted. "That's exactly what could happen! You tell me not to worry? Look!" Gabriella pointed to the open vent. "That's why I'm worried!"

"Corrie…" Troy growled.

"NO!!!!" she shouted. "I'm done! DONE! Just leave me ALONE!!!" Gabriella ran to the bedroom and slammed the door behind her.

"What's her problem?" Zach asked.

Troy shrugged his shoulders. "Never mind," he said. "It's too complicated."

"Oh, is that time of month?" Zach whispered. "Cody and I aren't stupid, you know. I actually paid attention in health!"

"It's only because Coach Tony was talking about girls," Cody said. "And Mom wanted to talk to you. Go, before she takes away the TV."

Zach was out of there faster than you can say "Risk it All."

"Now," Cody said. "Do you want to tell me why Corrie called you Troy, _Trevor_?"

Trevor gulped. He could feel his chest tighten as he looked down at the blonde Martin. He resembled Mr. Martin so much… and he probably didn't even know that his uncle was dead.

"We had just got done a play at our school," Troy said, coming up with one of the excuses that he and Gabriella had planned. They had to be prepared if one of them let the other's name slip. "Corrie and I were the main characters, and my name was Troy. We practiced so many times… I guess she just got used to calling me Troy." This wasn't a lie. Gabriella had accidently called him Arnold for weeks after Twinkle Towne. Cody still looked unsure, and he was about to say something when Zach burst into the room.

"Cody, come quick!" he said. "Mom's crying!" Troy sighed. They were about to find out why their mom was crying. As Cody shut the door behind him, Troy opened the bedroom door, where Gabriella laid curled in a ball, her body shaking.

"Gabriella…" Troy said, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"Leave me alone, Troy," Gabriella said.

"Come on, Gabby," Troy pleaded. "I know you're upset. This is hard for me, too. I've been separated from my family and friends, too. You're not the only one that's hurting." Troy got up and walked to the door. "Come talk to me when you're ready."

Troy went to the elevator and pressed the lobby button, intending to talk to Moseby about their situation. Gabriella's safety was what mattered to him.

As he walked towards Moseby's office, he heard someone calling his name. Troy turned to see Maddie standing behind the candy counter.

"Trevor!" she called again, giggling. Troy rolled his eyes. Maddie was most definitely _not_ his type.

"Hey, Maddie," Troy said, walking over to the candy counter.

"What's wrong, Trevor?" Maddie asked. "You look really upset." No matter how sincere she tried to sound, Troy could still hear the flirtatious lilt in her voice. Maddie was a really nice person, great to be around. But… he just didn't like her. He liked Gabriella. Scratch that. He _loved_ Gabriella. Too bad he didn't know if she loved him back.

"Yeah, I guess I am upset," Troy said.

"Maybe I can fix that," Maddie said, trailing a finger down his chest. Troy jerked back from her. Was she making a _move_ on him?

"Maddie, I'm going out with Corrie," he said.

Maddie shrugged her shoulders. "Doesn't mean that you can't have fun. You don't want to be tied down now, do you?" Troy gaped at her. Where was the Maddie that he had met two days ago? Why was she acting like such a slut?

"I… I have to go." Troy couldn't get away from her fast enough. He knocked on Moseby's door.

"Trevor," Moseby said. "I was expecting you."

"I figured." Troy sat down in the char across from Moseby's desk. Moseby settled in his own chair and stared at Troy intently, wondering when he was going to ask about Carey.

"Corrie is worried about Rick getting in the room. The twins climbed through the vents, and, just by looking at those vents, I could see that a man Rick's size could fit in there."

"I'm having Arwin, our engineer working on it as we speak," Moseby said.

"That's good to know." Troy looked around the simple office. There were employee of the month awards hanging behind the desk, and there were pictures on his desk. There were a few plants, but other than that, that was it.

"I'm sure you want to know about Carey."

Troy looked up at Moseby. "Um… yeah. But I didn't think that I should ask."

"It's your place to know. You're involved in this, and you have a right to know." Troy nodded his head, indicating for Moseby to continue. "Carey has two brothers, as I'm sure you know. Rick and Brian Martin. She also has one sister, Casey. Carey hasn't been in touch with Casey or Rick in years, but she's kept in touch with Brian. The two of them were very close. So the lose… it's too much for her. Imagine what she'll feel when she finds out that her own brother killed her brother."

"You're going to tell her?"

"We can't keep it from her forever, Trevor."

"But she's up there breaking down, right now! Then you're going to spill to her that her brother killed him?"

"She needs to know. And she'll also be informed of your situation, just in case Rick ever shows up."

"Thank you, Mr. Moseby," Troy said standing up. Just as his hand was on the knob, Moseby stopped him.

"Talk to Corrie," he said. "And, maybe, just maybe, you could let her know that you love her. It will make things easier for her, to know that you love her." Troy didn't even bother to ask how Mr. Moseby knew that he loved Gabriella. Moseby just seemed like that kind of person that could tell anything just by looking at a person.

"I'll try, Mr. Moseby," Troy said. "I'll try."

Xx0o0xX

When Troy got up to the room, Arwin came out. "I've fixed the vent," Arwin said. "It is officially break-in proof, I promise." He tripped over his own feet. Not very convincing.

"Arwin, you know Maddie kind of well, right?" Troy asked.

"Yeah. We talk from time to time," Arwin said, adjusting his large red tool box.

"Have you ever known her to make… passes at people?"

"Not really. She's just not that kind of person. London… now London would make a pass. My bet is that she talked to London. I don't know if you noticed, but London not exactly… the _best_ wrench in the toolbox."

Troy chuckled. "I figured it out." Just yesterday, London had answered the question fifteen times twenty with fourteen carat. Shopping was always on that girl's mind.

"Well, I see you later." Arwin began to move towards the elevator, but the weight of the toolbox made him smack into the wall. "I'm okay!" he called out. Troy laughed and shook his head as he entered the suit.

"Gabby?" he called out. He strained his ears and heard faint sniffling coming from the bedroom. She was still crying.

Troy walked into the bedroom where Gabriella was in the same position that he had left her in. This time, Troy stood over Gabriella and shook her gently.

"Gabby, stand up for me, please," he said. Gabriella rolled off the bed and got to her feet.

"What?" she sniffled, rubbing her eyes.

"Arwin fixed the vent."

"I heard him."

"Gabby…" Troy walked over to the side of the bed that Gabriella was standing on and took her hands in his. "Gabby, please tell me that you're not mad at me."

"Troy, I don't know if I can do this anymore. I'd prefer to be holed up in police station then living another life out here," Gabriella said, looking down at the ground.

"No, you wouldn't, and you know that. And you didn't answer my question."

Gabriella looked up at Troy, brown eyes meeting blue. "I'm not mad at you," she said softly.

"Good." Troy swooped down and captured her lips with his. Shocked, Gabriella stood there for a few seconds as Troy kissed her, but then she began to return the kiss, wrapping her arms around his neck. Troy pulled her close, wrapping his arms around her waist. She entangled her fingers in his hair as their tongues met, dancing together. Finally, the need for air became too great, and they pulled apart.

"Gabby," Troy breathed, resting his head on hers.

"Troy, Gabby replied, smiling.

Author's Note: I hope you all liked this chapter! I hadn't originally planned to get them together, but I had ideas. Anyway, I'm sorry if Maddie came off as a slut. But, like Arwin said, she must've been talking to London. That may or may not be the case, but, I can say that Maddie will make a few more passes at Troy. I'm sorry if you don't want that, but it kind of ties in with the story… I'll try to make it tie in with the story, anyway. I have an idea; I just need to plan it. Anyway, enough of my rambling. Please review! They make me happy!


	5. In a Dark Alleyway

Author's Note: Okay, this should at the very least semi-explain why Maddie was acting the way she was when she called Troy to her. I felt so bad about it, and I really don't think Maddie is like that, but hopefully this will explain some of it.

Maddie exited the revolving doors of the Tipton, pulling her coat close around her as the cool October air rushed around her. Today had relatively been a good day… except for one part.

Maddie was ashamed of herself with the way she had acted with Trevor. She's not that kind of person, really, she isn't. It's just… it was complicated. Maddie looked up at the sky. It was getting darker and darker… if she didn't get home soon she would have to take the bus, and she hated taking the bus at night. It was always kind of empty and eerie. Sighing, Maddie quickened her pace, her breath coming out in short puffs in front of her. Suddenly, she was grabbed.

Maddie attempted to scream, but whoever had grabbed her had shoved their hand over her mouth. Maddie struggled, but they dragged her into a dark alleyway. The person let go of her. Maddie made a move to leave, but the person grabbed her wrist.

"You know what will happen if you leave."

Maddie stopped in her tracks, her heart thumping in her chest. "I know what'll happen," she repeated dully as the grip tightened on her wrist.

"Did you do it?"

"Yes I did it," Maddie replied, flashing back to her encounter with Trevor. "Why are you making me do this?" Maddie whimpered as the grip tightened even further, cutting off her circulation.

"Because… I need to get to dear old _Trevor_ and _Corrie_."

"They're nice people. Why don't you just leave them alone?"

"They saw something that they shouldn't have seen."

"But why do I have to take care of it?"

"I told you, you don't have to take care of it. You just have to make them made at each other, make them separate."

"You won't hurt them, will you?" Maddie asked, suddenly fearing for Corrie and Trevor. Corrie was such a nice person… she didn't deserve what Maddie was going to do. And Trevor… Maddie did like a Trevor a little, she had to admit. But she could see the love he had for Corrie, simply by looking at the two of them. They radiated each other's love… she wanted that more than anything.

"Of course I won't them." Maddie couldn't help but recognize the dangerous lilt in his voice, letting her know that he was flat out lying. But she held her tongue and tried once again to get out of his grasp.

But he wouldn't budge.

"You know what'll happen," he repeated. "If you don't do what I said, you'll be one very unhappy candy counter girl, I can tell you that."

"I know. You can stop telling me now," Maddie snapped. A sharp hand came across her vision but she managed to swiftly dodge it. The person chuckled in the darkness, but kept his grip on her wrist nonetheless. "Here," He roughly shoved a small orange and black plastic bag in her hands. "I picked this up for you. Use it for what you have to do."

Maddie glanced down at the bag. "It's from a Halloween store."

"Look inside."

Maddie opened the bag and peeked into it. She gasped, blushed, and snapped the bag closed. "_This_ is what you want me to wear?"

"You have to do what you have to do… you know what'll happen." Maddie rolled her eyes, tired of hearing that phrase. "Save it for a… special night."

Maddie's eyes widened. "The Halloween Ball."

"Yes, yes."

"That's only a week away!"

"I know."

"But I... I..."

"You know what you have to do."

Maddie felt him leave, and looked down at the bag once more. She hated what she was going to do… but she had to. If it was the only way to protect them, then she would.

Author's Note: I hope this kind of explained a little PM me if you think you know who the person is, but it's probably blatantly obvious. That's why I'd like you to PM me. LOL. Anyway, when Maddie said that she had to protect "them," she wasn't talking about Troy/Trevor and Gabriella/Corrie. I hope you don't hate me for what Maddie has to do, but it will be explained. Now that I think about it, it's kind of a stupid reason, but I try as much as I can! Please review! I mean, I know I don't have to ask, but I like to anyway! I get this warm fuzzy feeling inside… LOL.


	6. Wildcats Left Behind

"Okay, seriously. Does _anyone_ know where Troy and Gabriella are?" Taylor paced the classroom back and forth.

"Taylor, no one knows where they are," Chad said for the hundredth time, standing up and placing Taylor in a desk.

"It's weird," Ryan said, sliding himself over top a desk. "No one knows where their parents are, either."

Zeke raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"Well, think about it. Coach Bolton hasn't been to work in two weeks," Ryan said.

"Mrs. Montez hasn't taught any of her classes in the past two weeks," Sharpay added, swinging her legs.

"And, according to my dad, Mr. Montez hasn't been at the restaurant in two weeks, either," Jason said. Mr. Montez was the head chef at the local restaurant, and Mr. Cross worked with him.

"And Mrs. Bolton hasn't been anywhere near her house in two weeks," Kelsi said.

"So..." Chad said, looking confused.

"So… that means that all of them disappeared at the same time!" Taylor finished.

"Oh."

"Yeah, oh."

"When you two are done fighting…" Sharpay said, standing up. Her heels clicked against the tiled floor as she walked back and forth. "Maybe… maybe all of them… went on a _secret vacation_!"

"Sharpay, come on," Ryan said. "They _obviously_ went to elope, and their parents were witnesses."

"Ryan, come on," Taylor started, but Chad interrupted her.

"Well, that _is_ plausible," Chad said, surprising them all with the big word. "But they most likely went to outer space!"

"Chad." Taylor whacked her boyfriend on the back of the head. "Maybe something happened."

"Yeah," Kelsi said. They all sat in silence for a few minutes. Suddenly, Kelsi's head snapped up. "Hey. Didn't they find Mr. Martin's body here two weeks ago?"

"Yeah…" Chad said. "But what does that have to do with anything?"

"Maybe… maybe Troy and Gabriella murdered Mr. Martin!" Jason exclaimed, jumping up.

"_Come on_, Jason!" Sharpay hit Jason on the back of the head, and then resumed her seat next to her boyfriend. Zeke wrapped an arm around her and Sharpay leaned her head against his shoulder. "When have you _ever_ known Troy and Gabriella to be murderers?" Jason sat back down on the desk, looking slightly ashamed of herself.

"What if they witnessed the murder?" Taylor asked in a thoughtful voice.

All seven teenagers sat in a thoughtful silence, when, suddenly, Chad jumped up. "That makes sense!" he exclaimed. "Troy stayed late after practice to help Mr. Martin put the equipment away. Gabriella stayed with him, and Troy said they would meet us for ice cream later, remember?" All of them nodded their heads. "But they _never came_! Maybe… they _did_ witness the murder, and they had to go to the police station?"

"How do you even know Mr. Martin was murdered?" Ryan asked skeptically.

"They didn't let us in the gym for a week. What does that tell you, Ryan?"

"You know, Chad has a point," Taylor said. "But that doesn't explain their disappearance."

"Maybe they went into the witness protection program," Kelsi said. Everyone looked at her. "Well, think about it. What if the murderer threatened them? The police would've put them in the witness protection program!"

"Let's say that that _is_ true," Taylor said. "How would we know who they were, or where they are, for that matter?"

Sharpay stood up, a devious smile on her face. "Leave that to me."

Xx0o0xX

"Viola!" Sharpay said, revealing two files from her bright pink tote. "I am a genius!"

"Yes!" Taylor said, running over to Sharpay.

"How did you do it?" Chad asked, looking impressed.

"You didn't… uh… _do_ anything… right?" Zeke asked, looking at his girlfriend carefully.

Sharpay's face turned into a scowl. "I can't believe that you think I would ever do that!" she exclaimed, waving the file around. "No, I just paid the rookie a whole lot of money to get me a copy of the file. But it was weird. The rookie kept on calling me "Maddie Fitzpatrick," and asking me how London Tipton was doing. I had no _idea_ what he was talking about. Whatever. I got the file!"

"Alright, let's see what it says!" Taylor said.

Sharpay opened the first file that had Gabriella Montez written across it. "Name: Corrie Lynn Elizabeth Simon. Career: Senior at Our Lady of Perpetual Sorrow. Place of Residence: Tipton Hotel, Boston, Massachusetts. Story: Corrie Simon is the young rich heiress to Simon Oils. She and her boyfriend, Trevor Daniels, have taken up residence at the Tipton Hotel in order to get away from the pressures of her father. Her father wants her to marry the son of another rich oil tycoon, but Corrie is madly in love with Trevor and has escaped with him." Sharpay opened the other file while Zeke, Chad, Ryan, Jason, Kelsi, and Taylor exchanged glances.

"I wonder who Trevor Daniels is?" Ryan asked, voicing all of their thoughts.

"I think we're gonna find that out," Sharpay said, holding up the folder with Troy Bolton written across it.

"You don't think…?" Chad started. Sharpay shrugged her shoulders and opened the file. "Name:Trevor Michael Daniels. Career: Senior at Our Lady of Perpetual Sorrow. Place of Residence: The Tipton Hotel, Boston, Massachusetts. Cover Story: Trevor has known Corrie all his life and has fallen madly in love with her. See Corrie Lynn file to describe what is going on between the two."

"Wow," Kelsi breathed.

"Who would've thought?" Jason finished.

"Well," said Chad quietly. "I guess we're going to the Tipton Hotel in Boston, Massachusetts."

Author's Notes: I thought that I'd show you all what was going on with the rest of the gang back at East High. I hope it seemed funny, but I'm one of those people who, if you try to be funny, it tends not to be funny, but if I don't try to be funny, I am. It's weird. But I hope you all liked this chapter. Review, please!


	7. In the Dark

The seven teenagers stepped off the airplane into the Boston International Airport. "This is a nice airport," Taylor said, looking around.

Sharpay took of her sunglasses and shrugged her shoulders. "Ah. I've seen better."

"I'm amazed that you even bothered to come with us," Taylor said with a laugh. Sharpay smiled and laughed with her. That just showed how much Sharpay had changed since junior year. Normally, a comment like that would've sent Sharpay over the edge. But now, she just laughs like everyone else.

"Okay… but now we need to find the Tipton," Ryan said, putting his hands in the pockets of his khakis. Chad grabbed his hat and placed it on top of his afro. Ryan made to grab the hat back, but Chad jumped out of his reach. Taylor rolled her eyes and turned back to the rest of the group.

"Already done," she said. "While Sharpay was making reservations for a car, I looked up directions."

"What car _did_ you rent?" Ryan asked coming back to the group, having successfully reclaimed his hat. How he did it, no one knew, but Chad came back looking like he was in serious pain, rubbing his forehead.

Taylor reached up to touch the swollen bump. "Chad, did he _hit_ you?" She looked up at Ryan in disbelief.

Ryan stifled a laugh. "No, I didn't hit him."

"Like Ryan would even hit that hard," Jason muttered. Unfortunately, Ryan heard him and whacked Jason on the shoulder.

"As I was saying, I didn't hit Chad. He ran into one of the poles." He gestured to one of the poles that were lining the walkway. Everyone nodded their heads and laughed, looking at Chad, who was dejectedly rubbing the bump on his forehead.

"I rented a big white van so all of us could fit in it," Sharpay said.

"Knowing you, I'd thought you'd rent a limo," Chad said.

Sharpay glared at him. "Do you want me to make that bump bigger than it already is?"

Chad hid behind Taylor, looking over her shoulder. "No."

"That's what I thought."

"Where's the van?" Kelsi asked, interrupting the two teenagers's spat.

"It should be out front waiting for us."

"Then I suggest we head out there."

Xx0o0xX

The seven teenagers all piled into the large white van, with Chad driving. Taylor sat in the passenger seat, occasionally yelling at Chad whenever he made a wrong turn. Finally, they pulled up in front of the Tipton. It was pitch black, and the streets were empty.

"What time is it?" Kelsi said sleepily from the back.

Ryan started dancing in his seat humming to himself "What time is it?" The guys glanced at him with amused looks on their faces while the girls waited for Taylor to tell them the time.

"It's… midnight." Taylor sighed in defeat. "No one's gonna be in there at this time."

"We'll just sleep in here," suggested Chad, laying the car seat back.

"But it's so… dark," Kelsi said, her eyes darting around nervously.

"Who knows what's out there!" Sharpay protested.

Chad reached over and locked the doors. "There. Now we're safe."

And with that, the seven high school seniors fell into an uneasy sleep.

Xx0o0xX

Sharpay was the first to wake up.

She stretched her arms and looked around, pushing herself out of Zeke's grasp as she sat up. She figured that it must still be dark out, since there was no light coming in through the van windows. She looked over all her sleeping friends, and then glanced up to the front seat, expecting to see Chad's large afro obscuring the driver's window.

But there was no afro.

Sharpay looked down at the back seat and scanned them again, finally finding the afro. Taylor was nuzzled in Chad's grasp, and Sharpay let out a breath of relief. Her eyes darted back to the front seat. Two figures began to move in the driver and passenger seats. Confused, Sharpay's eyes fell back to her sleeping friends, counting each body. Seven. Seven people. They were all here.

Then who was that in the front seat?

Sharpay reached for Zeke, intent on waking him up, but, instead, someone grabbed her arm. Sharpay was about to scream when a hand was roughly shoved her mouth. Something cold and hard was shoved against the side of her head, and Sharpay's body tensed immediately. By now, everyone had begun to wake up.

"What's goin' on?" Chad mumbled, sitting up.

"If any of you move, blondie'll get shot!" someone shouted. Now everyone was awake, and staring at the blond man that had Sharpay in his grasp. "Good," he said gruffly.

Must to Sharpay's relief, he released her and she fell into Zeke's arms, her body shaking with each breath she took.

"Come on, Dan," the blond guy grunted, pulling himself up into the driver's seat. And then they were driving off. To where?

None of them even knew.

Author's Note: Dun dun dun!!!! Yeah, none of you were expecting _that_, were you? Okay, so some of you probably were, but, hey, I try! Anyway, I hope you liked this chapter. Personally, I thought it was boring, except for the bit at the end. Please review, and, right now, I'll give you a sneak peek for the next chapter!

**Coming up in Breaking Point:**

_"What do you mean, they're missing?" Gabriella demanded tears coming to her eyes._

_"I'm sorry, Corrie. No one has seen them since Monday," Moseby said, his own eyes filled with sadness._

_"Troy, what if they went after us?" Gabriella sobbed, tears coming to her eyes._

_"I'm sure they didn't, Gabby," Troy said. He took Gabriella into his arms and began to stroke her hair, rocking her back and fort__h. Surely, they didn't go after them… right? _


	8. The Halloween Ball

Gabriella woke that morning nestled against Troy, his arms wrapped around her waist. Gabriella giggled and turned over, kissing him softly on the lips. Troy opened his eyes and smiled at Gabriella.

"Morning," he said softly, brushing a curl out of her face.

Gabriella returned the gesture, pushing some of his own hair out of his face. "Morning," she sighed, resting her chin against his chest. Both laid in a contented silence for a few minutes before Troy moved from underneath her.

"I'm hungry," Troy announced, sitting up with Gabriella still on top of him.

Gabriella laughed and rolled off him, letting Troy grab the phone and order room service. It was Friday morning, they had off of school, and tomorrow was Halloween and the day of the Halloween ball. Both Troy and Gabriella were going to go shopping for their costumes. Gabriella was going to go with Maddie and London, and Troy was going to go with Esteban, Moseby, and Arwin. Gabriella giggled just thinking about what a time Troy would have with them.

A few minutes later Troy got off the phone and climbed back up into the bed. He wrapped his arms around her and they fell back on the bed, kissing. They broke apart for air and Gabriella rested her head on Troy's chest, and he rested his head on top of hers.

Just then, there was a knock on their door. Gabriella rolled off of Troy again and both stood up. "Must be room service," Troy said.

Troy opened the door to see a very frazzled Esteban looking at him. "Mr. Moseby wishes to see you right now."

Troy gaped at him. "Right now? But we're not even—"

Esteban cut Troy off. "Right now."

Esteban led Troy and Gabriella (who were still in their pajamas) down to the lobby. There, at the front desk, was Mr. Moseby, a grim look on his face. Confused, Gabriella and Troy went up to him.

"What's going on?" Troy asked, looking confused.

"I'm afraid that I have something very terrible to tell you," Moseby said, the same grim look still on his face.

Instantly, Troy and Gabriella's face contorted from giddy happiness to extreme worry. "What?" Gabriella was already close to tears. "Is he here? Is he coming for us?"

"I wouldn't know," Moseby said. "But I do know this: late last night, the Albuquerque Police called my house. They said that seven teenagers had gone missing. Here are their names: Chad Danforth. Taylor McKessie. Sharpay Evans. Ryan Evans. Zeke Baylor. Kelsi Neilson. Jason Cross." Moseby stopped to see both Troy and Gabriella's faces which had turned into complete and udder shock. "They've been missing since midnight."

"What do you mean, they're missing?" Gabriella demanded tears coming to her eyes.

"I'm sorry, Corrie. No one has seen them since Monday," Moseby said, his own eyes filled with sadness.

"Troy, what if they went after us?" Gabriella sobbed, tears pouring down her face.

"I'm sure they didn't, Gabby," Troy said. He took Gabriella into his arms and began to stroke her hair, rocking her back and forth. Surely, they didn't go after them… right?

Moseby looked at Troy sympathetically. "I'm sorry," he said before leaving the two teens alone. Troy was surprised that he hadn't asked them to leave the lobby.

Just then, Zach and Cody came up to them. "What's wrong with Corrie?" Zach asked loudly.

"Zach!" Cody exclaimed. "You can't just say that! You have to show some compassion!""I have to show some what?"

"Oh, never mind!" Cody touched Gabriella's arm. "Are you okay, Corrie?"

Gabriella sniffled and wiped at her eyes with the back of her hand. "Yeah, I'm fine." Her voice came out shaky as she spoke. Cody and Zach looked at each other uneasily before turning back to Troy and Gabriella.

"Are you going to the Halloween ball?" Zach asked, trying to lighten the mood. He seemed to have succeeded slightly since Gabriella smiled.

"Yeah. Maddie, London, and I are going shopping for our costumes later today. Trevor is going with Moseby, Esteban, and Arwin."

Zach smirked. "Have fun with that," he said, his comment directed at Troy.

"Oh, I will," Troy said, returning the smirk. "Especially since your mom insisted that you come with us."

Zach made a face before running to the elevator, most likely going to attempt to get his mom to change her mind. Cody rolled his eyes and followed his twin. Troy and Gabriella chuckled and walked back up to their room to get changed.

Xx0o0xX

Later that day, Gabriella, Maddie, and London were at a Halloween store, searching for costumes. Gabriella and London tore through the racks, determined to find the perfect costume, while Maddie stood by and stared at the costumes dejectedly.

"Maddie, why aren't you looking for anything?" Gabriella asked. She picked up a feather boa and wrapped it around Maddie's neck. Maddie cracked a smile and played with one of the feathers.

"I already have my... _costume_," Maddie said. She let the boa slip from her neck and drop to the floor. She glanced at it and wished for a normal costume, instead of the one that she had.

"What? Are you going to dress up as a person with style?" London said from behind a large fluffy yellow costume.

Maddie smiled sarcastically. "You're funny," she said. "But I wouldn't be saying that."

"Why not?"

"Are you costume blind? You'll like Big Bird in that!" London cocked her head to the side and stared at Maddie blankly. "From Sesame Street?" Still, she was met with the same blank stare. "The big yellow bird?" When London didn't say anything, Gabriella touched Maddie's shoulder.

"Let it go," Gabriella said. "Just let it go."

Maddie took a deep breath in and out. "Letting it go," she repeated. Gabriella smiled and turned back to London. She was already searching through the racks, obviously not affected by their conversation. Gabriella chuckled and shook her head. And she thought she had weird friends at East High.

Xx0o0xX

Later that night, Gabriella and London were getting ready in London's suit. They wanted to surprise the boys. (Lance was London's escort for the night.) Maddie had said that she had to get ready at her house. Something about her parents wanting to take pictures, or something.

Gabriella slipped her dress over her head and pulled her curls into an elegant bun, curls hanging down from it, and her side bangs hanging down. Wisps of hair also escaped the bun, framing her face beautifully. Gabriella slipped on white flats—they were comfortable, and hardly anyone could see them under her dress. She pulled down the elegant white beaded mask that covered her eyes. She stepped out of the dressing room out to where London was waiting.

London was wearing a pink dress that was kind of short. She also had a diamond necklace on and some type of tiara. She stood up when Gabriella walked in.

"Corrie, you look beautiful," London said sincerely. "And I don't say that about other people much."

Gabriella laughed. "Thanks, London," she said. "You look beautiful too."

"Well, I guess we shouldn't leave the guys waiting anymore," London said. Together, they walked out of London's suit and to the elevator.

Xx0o0xX

When Gabriella stepped out of the elevator, Troy's jaw dropped. She was wearing a beautiful white dress… it looked like a wedding dress. In fact, it was. Gabriella had found it in a vintage store. It was a vintage wedding dress, and she decided that with the mask, it was Halloween material.

Troy looked really, really, really good. He was wearing a simple tux, with a black mask that covered his eyes.

"Ready, milady?" Troy said, offering his arm to Gabriella.

Gabriella giggled and took his arm. "Of cross, kind sir." Troy placed a quick kiss on Gabriella's lips before they walked in together.

Many people complimented Gabriella and Troy on their simple but gorgeous costumes. Suddenly, at around 11:00, Maddie showed up. She was wearing a black trench coat, and her long blond hair was curled. She also had heavy make-up on. To be honest, it looked a tad bit skanky, but who knows if it was intentional or not.

They all danced together for a while, and then Gabriella declared that she had to go to the bathroom. When Gabriella left, Maddie touched Troy's wrist.

"Trevor, I need to talk to you," Maddie whispered, leaning over.

Troy backed up a little, giving himself some more room. "Okay," he said, following her. Maddie had actually taken them to his and Gabriella's suit. Troy opened it and they both stepped in. "What's up?"

Maddie undid the belt on her trench coat and shrugged it off, revealing a very… revealing French maid costume. Maddie hated what she was about to do, but she had no choice. She had to keep them safe, or he would hurt them. She couldn't let that happen.

"Um… wow," Troy said, gulping. "What are you doing?"

Maddie walked closer to Troy. With each step she took closer, Troy took on step back until the backs of his legs hit the bed. Maddie was standing a few inches from him.

"Well, I was thinking…" Maddie trailed her finger down Troy's chest, letting the question hang in the air.

Troy gulped, speechless. Maddie took this as her chance and leaned in, kissing Troy. Troy began to attempt to rip his lips from hers, but Maddie kept on kissing him. She had to let Gabriella see…

Suddenly, the door to the suit opened. "Troy, are you in…" Gabriella trailed off as she saw Troy and Maddie. She let out a strangled sob before turning and running. Troy finally managed to rip his lips from Maddie's and he took off running after her, screaming her name.

Maddie collasped on the bed, sobbing.

Xx0o0xX

Gabriella tore through the halls, sobbing. She couldn't believe it. Troy, cheating on her… especially now, when she needed him. She could hear him shouting her name, but she didn't bother to look back, she didn't slow her pace; instead, she ran faster. Suddenly, someone grabbed her and pulled her into one of the emergency staircases.

"So nice to see you again… Gabriella."

Author's Note: So, who do you think grabbed Gabriella? Hmm, let's think for a moment. LOL. Anyway, I know Maddie's not a slut, and all, but it will be explained as to why she did that, don't worry. I don't perceive Maddie as a slut as all. Anyway, I hoped you all liked this chapter. By the way, the costumes for the girls are in my profile. Just in case you wanted to check it out. Look below to see a sneak peek of the next chapter!

**Coming up in "Breaking Point"**

_"Gabriella?" Gabriella turned to see seven figures huddled together at the far end of the room…_

_------------_

_The door to the room opened and someone shoved another person in. He hit the floor with a loud smack and the door shut behind him. Whoever had opened it had locked it again. Gabriella studied the person who was on the floor before her carefully._

_"Troy?"_


	9. Breaking Point

Gabriella gasped as Rick swung her over the banister. She let out a small scream as she fell, but, the fall stopped. Cracking her eyes open, she saw that someone dressed in all black had caught her. Gabriella stayed relatively silent as they dragged her down the halls.

"I like this one. She's silent," the man dressed in black grunted.

"Relax, Fred. You'll have your turn with her," Rick said. Gabriella's body tensed at the words. There were several meanings to them, and she didn't know which one she was more afraid of. Just then, they came to the basement of the Tipton. Gabriella recognized it as Arwin's work area. Rick lifted a picture of Carey off a power box. A bookcase to the left swung open, and they dragged Gabriella in. Rick picked up a large key and unlocked a barred door. They threw Gabriella in and she hit the floor with a thud.

Gabriella turned on her side as tears began to roll down her face. First the gang, then Troy, and now this? How much worse could this day get?

"Gabriella?" Gabriella turned to see seven figures huddled together at the far end of the room.

"Taylor?" Gabriella's eyes widened. "Sharpay? Kelsi?" She scanned each of their faces, hoping to god that she wasn't dreaming. "Chad, Zeke, Ryan, Jason?" Before she could get another word out, they had engulfed her in a huge hug, forcing her to fall back on the floor. Tears came to each teenagers eyes as they sat there piled on the floor.

"Gabriella, we were so worried about you…" Gabriella heard Taylor's muffled voice say.

"We couldn't believe it when we found out," Sharpay said.

"Wait." Gabriella sat up. "How did you find out?""Oh, Sharpay bought it off a rookie," Chad said, waving his hand. "What are you all dressed up for?"

"Oh, it was for a Halloween party," Gabriella said. She attempted to smile and push back the tears. Luckily, it was dark, so no one could see the silent tears slipping down her face. But they could feel it.

"Gabriella," Chad started slowly. He was like a big brother to her, and could easily tell when she was feeling upset. "Where's Troy?"

Gabriella took a deep breath and let it out, closing her eyes. The picture of Troy and Maddie kissing seemed burned in her mind…

xXo0oXx

Troy ran down the hall and skidded around a corner. In the process, he knocked over a potted plant, but he didn't care. Suddenly, an arm appeared in front of his vision. He didn't have enough time to avoid it. The arm smacked into Troy's neck, causing him to lose his breath and fall to the ground. His vision grew blurry as two figures stood over him…

xXo0oXx

"And… I ran," Gabriella finished, breathing deeply. She fisted away a few tears before lying on her back. "I don't know whether or not he followed me, since Rick caught me. But… I didn't want to know."

"I'll kill him," Sharpay and Chad growled at the same time. They stared at each other in shock. They hardly agreed on anything. Zeke placed a hand on his girlfriend's shoulder; she looked over at him and smiled.

"Do you want to know now?" Kelsi asked quietly. Gabriella nodded her head a little, but then she remembered that it was too dark to see.

"Yeah," she said softly. "Yeah, I do want to know."

Suddenly, the door to the room opened and someone shoved another person in. He hit the floor with a loud smack and the door shut behind him. Whoever had opened it had locked it again. Gabriella studied the person who was on the floor before her carefully.

"Troy?" Gabriella gulped and looked down at the crumpled heap in front of her. Troy picked up his head and looked at Gabriella. She seemed to be glowing in her white dress, her stressed and scared features illuminated by the white glow of the dress.

Troy coughed and pushed himself up. Sharpay crawled over to him, her jeans scraping against the cement floor. "Troy? Are you okay?" she asked. Troy nodded his head, wiping at his bloody lip. "Good." Sharpay brought back her hand and slapped Troy across the face as hard as she could.

Troy's face swung around as his cheek began to sting. "What the _hell_ was that for?!" Troy shouted, pressing both hands to his cheek.

"That was for what you did to Gabriella!" the gang shouted in unison, immediately knowing why Sharpay had slapped him.

"No, you don't understand—"

"Oh really?" Gabriella's harsh voice sliced through the air, disrupting Troy. "Because it looked as if you and Maddie were pretty cozy. I mean, you were making out, for Christ's sake!" Troy glanced at his best friend, his girlfriend, and now, possibly, his ex-girlfriend. She only said something like "for Christ's sake" when she was really pissed off.

"Gabriella—" Once again he was cut off by Gabriella.

"No, Troy I think it's _you_ who doesn't understand!" she shouted, tears coming to her eyes. "I loved you! Do you understand _that_?! I _loved_ you! And now… now… now I don't know what to think. We just witnessed a murder, and you kiss me, and then, not even a week later, you make out with Maddie? How long this been going on?" Tears were pouring down her face now, and her body shook with sobs. Everyone touched her shoulder gently, as if they were trying to give her their courage and support. Gabriella looked over her shoulder and smiled gratefully, thankful for such great friends.

"She came on to me!" Troy shouted, finally losing it. He stood up and slammed his fists against the wall. "_She's_ the one who kissed _me_! I'm sorry that you think I'm some sort of man whore, but you know that I would never hurt you. Never!"

"I never said that," Gabriella said quietly.

"You may not have said it, but it sure as hell was implied," Troy snarled. He glanced down at her harshly. "Do you feel broken now? Or do you still feel like going?"

"Troy," Gabriella said, shaking her head. "I met my breaking point a long time ago."

Author's Note: I so sorry I haven't updated! But, this is a filler chapter, so… anyway, school has been a living hell, and I'm sorry that I didn't update. I'll try to be better, but it'll be hard. Anyway, you'll get an extra long sneak peek at the next chapter because I haven't updated… enjoy!

**Next time on Breaking Point…**

_Troy took Gabriella by the arms and pulled her up. The gang was already far ahead of them, running down the streets of Boston. Rick let out a strangled yell and ran after them. When he finally caught up, he grabbed the back of Gabriella's dress. She kept on going; she didn't stop. Instead of stopping Gabriella, the dress ripped all the way up to her knees. Attempting to keep up her pace, she pulled off the ripped portion of the dress, letting it float away behind her. Her dress was now up to her knees, which made it easier to run. She silently thanked God for her choice to wear flats. _

_What Rick said next made them stop. "If you don't come back here, I'll shoot!" His voice rang out, bouncing off the skyscrapers. Every single person stopped what they were doing to stare at the crazed man pointing a gun at London and Maddie._

_The nine teenagers skidded to a stop and looked pleadingly at each other. "Come here," Rick demanded._

_No one moved._

_"COME HERE!" _

_Still, no one moved._

_Rick sighed, but you could see the maniac glint in his eyes. "Fine, if that's the way you want it…"_

_BANG!!!_


	10. On A Boston Street

"Guys, I really don't think this is the time for arguing," Chad said, stepping in between his best friends.

"Yeah. Troy, you're just being an asshole, and Gabriella, you're being too damn stubborn," Sharpay said. "Yes, this has been difficult for you, but now we're a part of it, so it's difficult for us as well."

"Well, if you hadn't tried to come after us, maybe you wouldn't be in this situation!" both Troy and Gabriella yelled in unison. They glared at each other and then looked away.

"Why don't you go find Maddie? Maybe you'll get laid!" Gabriella spat, glaring at him once more.

"Maybe I will!" Troy snapped, returning the glare. Gabriella's face fell and she turned away, her back to him.

"Gabriella, I'm sorry. I didn't mean it." Troy immediately changed from severely pissed off to concern. He tried to put his arms around Gabriella, but she shrugged it off.

"Leave me alone," Gabriella muttered, pushing him away.

Troy looked at his friends with a pleading look on his face, but they just shook their heads sadly, as if to say, "You brought this on yourself." Troy was about to retort when the door to the cell opened once more. A blond girl was thrown in, and the door was shut again.

Gabriella looked down at her with concern, but then her face hardened as she realized who it was. She turned away from her, and Taylor, Sharpay, and Kelsi knew immediately who it was.

"What's up with you guys?" Chad demanded.

"Yeah, aren't you going to help her?" Zeke said, moving towards the girl.

"I wouldn't," Gabriella said harshly. "She's the girl that Troy cheated on me with." The boys froze. They knew that if they helped the girl, their girlfriends would be seriously pissed off, but they didn't know if the girl was seriously hurt.

"What if she's hurt?" Ryan said, looking down at her.

"By all means, go check on her," Gabriella said. "But don't count me in; I refuse to be near her."

Chad, Jason, Ryan, and Zeke all exchanged glances before bending down in front of Maddie. "Are you okay?" Ryan asked in concern.

Maddie turned over and looked up at Ryan. Ryan smiled down at her and held out a hand, Maddie, still in her French maid outfit, took it and stood up. Gabriella made a point not to look at her, and Taylor, Kelsi, and Sharpay were glancing between the two of them.

"Hey, wait a second!" Sharpay said, realization dawning on her. "She has my face!"

Sharpay and Maddie stared at each other. You could see differences in his face (bare with me here): Maddie's hair was longer and darker, Sharpay's eyes were more hazel then Maddie's brown, and there was obviously their sense of fashion.

"Look, when all of you are done being immature," Troy said. "In case you haven't noticed, we have a _slight_ problem. Can we just, put the grudges aside for now and try to figure out a way to get out of here?"

Kelsi smiled and pointed to the door. "Already been done."

Everyone looked at the door. Kelsi's sneaker was shoved between the door and the wall.

xXo0oXx

They walked quickly as they headed out of the Tipton and into the busy streets of Boston.

"I'm sorry," Maddie suddenly said.

Gabriella and Troy looked at Maddie. "What are you talking about?" they said in unison for the second time that evening.

"Look… I was… I was, uh… forced to do all of… this." Maddie gestured down at her French maid costume (she was also getting some pretty odd looking stares) and then to Troy. "Rick is actually married to my sister, and they have two children. Well, Rick threatened to kill my sister and niece and nephew. And then… and then he threatened to kill me. I'm so sorry Corrie and Trevor."

"Why is she calling you Corrie and Trevor?" Chad asked, momentarily forgetting why they were in Boston.

"Isn't that their names?" Maddie asked, looking confusedly at Chad.

"Uh… no," Chad replied. "Their names are Troy and Gabriella."

"Chad!" Taylor yelled, whacking her boyfriend on the back of her head.

Meanwhile, Gabriella and Troy were talking. "See, you were upset for no reason," Troy said. "He threatened to kill her family!"

"I wouldn't put it past him," Gabriella said, looking ashamed of herself. "Maddie, I'm sorry," Gabriella said, placing a hand on her shoulder.

Maddie shook her head. "It's okay. I did something that I knew I shouldn't have done."

"Yes, but he threatened your family. And, listen, we haven't been exactly truthful either."

Maddie raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"Well, uh… Rick's brother, Brian, was our gym teacher at East High. One day, Rick came in and, uh, well, Rick… he uh—"

"Rick killed Brian," Troy said simply. Tears came to Gabriella's eyes just hearing it.

"He killed his own brother?" Sharpay's voice cut through the conversation. Troy nodded his head.

"And we were there to witness it. We ran and Rick wasn't too happy about it. He vowed that he would get us and… that leads to where we are now."

Maddie opened her mouth to respond, but she was cut off by a strangled yell. Everyone's head snapped around, and they saw Rick running after them.

Everyone picked up speed and began to sprint. They didn't know where they were going… just as long as they got away from Rick. People glared at them as they ran by, but they didn't care. Gabriella tried to pick up her skirts as she ran, but she tripped over them and fell.

Troy skidded to a stop and bent down. He took Gabriella by the arms and pulled her up. The gang was already far ahead of them, running down the streets of Boston. Rick let out a strangled yell and ran after them. When he finally caught up, he grabbed the back of Gabriella's dress. She kept on going; she didn't stop. Instead of stopping Gabriella, the dress ripped all the way up to her knees. Attempting to keep up her pace, she pulled off the ripped portion of the dress, letting it float away behind her. Her dress was now up to her knees, which made it easier to run. She silently thanked God for her choice to wear flats.

What Rick said next made them stop. "If you don't come back here, I'll shoot!" His voice rang out, bouncing off the skyscrapers. Every single person stopped what they were doing to stare at the crazed man pointing a gun at London and Maddie.

The nine teenagers skidded to a stop and looked pleadingly at each other. "Come here," Rick demanded.

No one moved.

"COME HERE!"

Still, no one moved.

Rick sighed, but you could see the maniac glint in his eyes. "Fine, if that's the way you want it…"

BANG!!!

Every single person froze, looking towards the two teens.

They were unharmed.

Instead, Rick bent over and fell flat on his face. A pool of blood formed around his body. Gabriella's body began to shake, remembering what had happened to Brian. Troy wrapped an arm around her shoulders, and the East High gang joined them. Everyone looked towards the corner of the street, where a man was putting his arm down. In his hand was a gun.

"Mr. Moseby?" They all asked, looks of shocks on their face.

"Yes," Mr. Moseby put the gun into his holster and pulled out his wallet, flipping it open. "I've been an undercover detective since your father bought the Tipton, London." London's eyes grew wide.

"You're a detective?" she asked.

Mr. Moseby sent her a look and shook his head. "Yes," he said in a slower voice. "I was hired by your father just in case anyone threatened you or your family."

Everyone exchanged glances. Moseby an undercover detective? There was just something wrong with that statement. Well, it's just hard to believe, is all.

"Now," Mr. Moseby said. "Why don't we go back to the Tipton?"

Author's Note: I hope you all liked this chapter… that's pretty much all I've gotta say. Oh yes, the next chapter of Right on Track should be up somewhere between now and two weeks. Look below for a sneak peek of Breaking Point.

**Up Next on Breaking Point:**

_"Mom! Dad!" Troy and Gabriella ran towards their parents, who engulfed them in a hug._

_----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------_

_"You know, we still need to talk," Troy said, leaning on the balcony railing. _

_Gabriella looked down at the ground. "I know."_


	11. The Worst Timing

Fifteen minutes later, the East High Wildcats, plus Maddie and London, had entered the Tipton. Moseby had led them to his office, and they all managed to cram into the small area.

"Now, who would like to explain to me what happened?" Moseby said, taking a seat at his desk. He put his chin in his hands and looked at the teenagers expectantly.

"Well, it's… uh… it's very… confusing," Troy stuttered. Gabriella, who was standing next to Troy, held up her hand.

"There's nothing confusing about it," she said. "It's easy to understand."

"Then why don't you explain it?" Troy shot back. They were obviously still bitter about what had happened earlier.

"Fine. I will." Gabriella turned and looked at Moseby. "You see, it started with the Halloween Ball. Maddie showed up late; I went to the bathroom. When I came back, I couldn't find Troy anywhere. I asked London if she had seen him, but she had told me that she hadn't seen him. Then she asked me if I had seen Maddie, but I hadn't seen her since she had gotten here. I didn't think anything about the fact that neither of them were there. I looked around the ballroom again, and then I headed up to our room, thinking that he had forgotten something up there. When I opened the door… I found… I found…" Gabriella trailed off and took a deep breath. The memory, even after everything that had happened tonight, was very painful for her.

"I found Troy and Maddie… kissing. I ran, and then Rick grabbed me when I passed a staircase. He threw me to some guy, Fred, I think his name was, and then we were off to the Tipton basement. Rick had lifted a picture of Carey off a power box, and a bookcase had swung open. There was some type of secret room back there. And in the secret room was another secret room, and Rick and Fred threw me in there. And that's where I found Taylor, Chad, Zeke, Sharpay, Kelsi, Jason, and Ryan. I told them the story of how I got down there, and then, sometime later, Troy had been thrown in. We argued for a while, about the whole Maddie kissing Troy thing. Then Maddie was thrown into the room, and Kelsi had managed to shove her sneaker between the door and the wall, so we escaped. Maddie escaped with us and explained why she had kissed Troy. Turns out that Rick was married to her sister, and had threatened to kill her sister, their two children, and Maddie herself. Then Rick had a gun pointed at Maddie and London, and then you showed up and killed Rick. That's pretty much the whole night in a nutshell."

Moseby looked at everyone else. "Is this true?" Everyone nodded their heads vigorously, eager to get out of the room. "Alright, I'm glad this was settled. I'll have to report this all and do the paper work…" Moseby made a face. "I hate paperwork. As for Rick's friend Fred, he had been found unconscious on the floor of Arwin's work area. I figured that Rick had knocked him unconscious out of anger when he had figured out that you had all escaped."

Moseby reached into his desk and took out several room keys. "Here are some extra room keys for you all. Please, go up to your rooms and refresh yourselves." They didn't need to be told twice. They rushed out of Moseby's small office. As Gabriella and Troy headed up to their room, they heard their names being called.

"Troy!"

"Gabriella!"

"Mom! Dad!" Troy and Gabriella ran towards their parents, who engulfed them in a hug.

"We were so worried about you!" both sets of parents exclaimed at the same time.

"What happened?"

"Where have you been?"

"Who was involved?"

"Is everyone else okay?"

"Was anyone hurt?"

"Are _you_ okay?"

Troy and Gabriella looked at each other and broke into a fit of laughs. "Mom, Dad, relax. We're fine," Troy said in between laughs.

"Yeah, just go upstairs and settle in. We'll tell you everything later, we promise," Gabriella said.

Both Troy and Gabriella's parents got into one elevator while Troy and Gabriella got into another. They rode up in silence, entered their room in silence, sat on their bed in silence. Gabriella could take it anymore. She got up and went out to the adjacent balcony, overlooking the view of Boston. Not even an hour ago, she had been terrified out of her wits. Now, she was strangely calm, almost as if she was in shock. Gabriella breathed in deeply and closed her eyes.

She felt a presence beside her. With her eyes closed, her other senses were enhanced. Gabriella opened her eyes and looked up at Troy, who was standing next to her.

"You know, we still need to talk," Troy said, leaning on the balcony railing.

Gabriella looked down at the ground. "I know."

They were silent for a few moments before Troy opened his mouth. "I wasn't the one to kiss Maddie," he said.

Way to be obvious. "I know," Gabriella said again.

"Then why did you freak?"

"Because I didn't know until Maddie told the truth!" Gabriella exploded. "Do you know what it looked like to me? It looked like the guy that I loved was kissing another girl! Do you know how horrible that looks?" She stopped herself and took a deep breath. "1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10…" she counted quietly, trying not to let Troy know how distressed she was.

It didn't work.

Troy wrapped an arm around her shoulders. Gabriella didn't bother to move away from him or tell him off. Instead, she leaned into his embrace, eager for his warm touch. In the few short hours that they had been "broken up," Gabriella had found it increasingly hard not to touch Troy. Of course, she wouldn't let him know that.

"You know, when you said that you had loved me in that cell, I had thought that you were just saying that to get me to feel sorry. Now, I think that you really do mean it," Troy said quietly.

Gabriella looked up at him. "Of course I mean it. I wouldn't say it if I didn't mean it."

"Well, I don't know how much this will help anything, but I love you too."

Gabriella smiled up at him. "You do?"

"Yeah, I do." Troy said with the same smile on his face. "I wouldn't say it if I didn't mean it."

Gabriella giggled and buried her head into Troy's chest. A few seconds later, she looked up into his piercing blue eyes. Troy leaned down and kissed her, more passionately then he had ever kissed anyone before. Gabriella did the same.

Just then, there was a knock at the door. Gabriella and Troy broke apart and went to open the door. There stood Chad, along with Taylor, Sharpay, Zeke, Jason, Kelsi, and Ryan. However, Troy and Gabriella only addressed Chad.

"Chad?"

"Yes?"

"You have the worst timing."

Author's Note: Cheesy filler chapter, I know. I think there will be one shorter chapter where they go to East High, and then an epilogue. I'm eager to start on my other stories! I hoped you liked this chapter; there really wasn't much to it… Oh, and for anyone that's interested, my first High School Musical story is finished. It's called Right on Track. Thanks for the reviews!


	12. A Moment of Silence

Troy Bolton wasn't normally one to cry.

When he broke his leg in three places, he didn't cry.

When he flipped a burning pan on his arm, he didn't cry.

And when he set himself of fire, he didn't cry. (Just shouted a few colorful words at the top of his lungs, causing everyone in the campground to stare at him.)

So why was he crying now?

Everyone was standing around him, covered in black. That might have something to do with it.

No one was talking—the only sound you heard was the occasional sob.

The normally festive East High had been thrown into a storm of sorrow, and the eye of storm hadn't even come yet.

And, lastly, his girlfriend was buried into his chest, sobbing.

And this is when he chose to cry.

He cried for the loss of his gym teacher.

He cried for almost loosing the one person he loved the most.

And, he just generally cried. For everything that he had never cried for.

Today, Troy Bolton cried.

xXo0oXx

Gabriella Montez was never good at holding things in.

When her project for science had gotten screwed up, she flipped on anyone that came within five feet of her.

When her cousin crashed her car, she exploded and beat him to a bloody pulp.

When her father died, her wails filled the church, and no one could do anything to calm her.

So she was surprised when she didn't break down at Brian Martin's memorial.

At least, not until she looked around.

She had told herself that she didn't want to look. She commanded herself not to look.

Not to look at the people covered in black.

Not to look at the sobbing and crying people.

Not to look over at the reunited Martin family.

Not to look at the stone memorial in the front.

But she did anyway.

And then she broke down.

Tears poured down her face. Fortunately, her boyfriend noticed this and wrapped an arm around her. She buried her face into his chest and sobbed.

She felt wetness on her neck.

She looked up.

Troy Bolton was crying.

Today, Gabriella Montez didn't hold anything back.

xXo0oXx

Chad Danforth was a loud person.

He yelled, screamed, and cheered at his basketball games.

When he was mad, everyone knew it, even people he didn't even know.

Even when he sang, he was loud.

So he was surprised when he was silent.

His jaw didn't seem to be able to move.

No sound would come out.

None at all.

Looking at everyone, he just couldn't.

There was no sarcastic comment to break the ice.

There was no "Chad Moment" to make anyone laugh.

Just silence.

He had his arm wrapped around his girlfriend, and he had his face buried in her hair.

Today, Chad Danforth was silent.

xXo0oXx

Taylor McKessie was an opinionated person.

When her mom kept trying to buy her clothes, she let her know how much she didn't like it.

When she didn't like her teachers, she let them know it.

And when she was tired of the jock's shit, she let them know it.

But today, she couldn't think of a single opinion.

She was feeling what everyone else was feeling.

Sorrow.

Sad.

Upset.

Angry.

Nothing.

Nothing else would pass through her mind on this day.

She felt her boyfriend wrap his arm around her, bury his face in her hair.

Nothing else.

Today, Taylor McKessie's opinion died.

xXo0oXx

Sharpay Evans was a dramatic person.

Her entrances were always dramatic.

Her performances were always dramatic.

Even her clothes were dramatic.

So, today, she shocked herself (and everyone else) when she entered the gym.

She was wearing nothing dramatic.

Her entrance was anything but dramatic.

She looked like everyone else.

Black.

Grim.

Sad.

A smile hadn't even crossed her face.

Her boyfriend held her close.

She rested her head on his shoulder.

Today, Sharpay Evans was plain.

xXo0oXx

Zeke Baylor was a generally accepting person.

He accepted the fact that he was only a semi-good basketball player.

He accepted the fact that he was a fantastic baker.

And he was the first guy to accept Gabriella (with the exception of Troy).

But he refused to accept this death.

Yes, he believed that Brian Martin was dead.

No, he refused to believe that his spirit was gone.

His spirit was all around.

It was all around the black-clad people.

All around the crying people.

And it had been around them at Boston.

He wrapped his arm around his girlfriend, and she responded.

He accepted this.

But there was one thing he would not accept.

The death.

Today, Zeke Baylor did not accept.

xXo0oXx

Ryan Evans was always moving.

He couldn't spend a day without moving his hands.

He had to dance.

He had to move.

But for some reason, he couldn't move.

His hands were frozen at his sides.

His feet were cemented to the floor.

But it didn't matter.

No one else was moving.

The black mass stayed still.

Every single thing stayed still.

The only thing that moved were the shaking shoulders.

A blonde girl touched his shoulder.

He hugged her too him.

That was the only time he moved.

Today, Ryan Evans stayed completely still.

xXo0oXx

Kelsi Neilson loved music.

When she was a toddler, she was begging for music.

By elementary school, she was playing the instruments.

By high school, she was making the music.

But there was no music.

No talking.

Not even a sound.

She couldn't even make a sound.

Nothing.

Her boyfriend hugged her. She hugged him back.

Not even a sound from their movements.

The only music was the sobs bouncing off the walls.

But was that music?

Who knew?

Not her.

Today, Kelsi Neilson made no music.

xXo0oXx

Jason Cross wasn't the deepest person.

He was blunt.

He stated the obvious.

He enjoyed getting on people's nerves for no apparent reason.

But now, there was no blunt comment.

No stating of the obvious.

No annoyance.

No basketball stereotype to live up to.

Just Jason.

And just Jason was pretty damn deep.

Just Jason looked out on the black mass, and to the gray stone of the memorial.

Why were they so grim for someone that had been so happy?

The black clothes.

The gray memorial.

All grim.

Just Jason realized that it was all because of what they were feeling.

Today, it was just black and white.

And they were all black.

Today, Jason Cross was Just Jason.

xXo0oXx

Carey Martin looked down at the beautiful memorial that East High had made. It was supposed to go out front, right outside of the school. The inscription on it was simple; it just read _"Brian Martin, beloved teacher, brother,__ husband,__ and uncle. His memory rests in our hearts."_ But that was all that they needed.

The memorial service was everything that she had expected. The principal said a few words; some teachers said a few words. Then, they asked for a moment of silence. Everyone was silent. Not a single sound had been made, and that silence had brought tears to Carey's eyes. Zach and Cody had hugged her, Mr. Moseby had whispered apologies, and Maddie had had her own tears slipping down her face. Carey reached out and touched one of the many white roses that lay across Brian's memorial.

"Um, Carey?"

Carey turned to see Troy, Gabriella, Chad, Taylor, Zeke, Sharpay, Ryan, Kelsi, and Jason standing behind her. They were each holding a single red rose.

Carey watched as they each went up and laid their red rose across the memorial.

"For Rick," one of them whispered.

"Why are you doing this?" Carey asked.

"He was your brother," Troy.

"He still is your brother," Gabriella said.

"But… I don't understand."

"Your brother may have threatened us," Troy said.

"And he may have kidnapped us," Sharpay added.

"But that doesn't mean that you have to forget about him." Troy smiled slightly at her. "He was, is, and always will be your brother."

Carey looked at the nine red roses mixed in with the hundreds of white roses.

"Thank you."

Author's Note: I don't know why, but I loved this chapter. It was meant to express each of the gang's emotions during the moment of silence, and I hope I did it well. With the whole red rose thing at the end, the gang hadn't exactly forgiven him… they were just showing Carey that he had been a part of her life, and that he wasn't meant to be forgotten. And it was also like closure. Does anyone wanna take a guess as to who the blonde was that Ryan hugged? Hmm… The next chapter is the last chapter! Thank you to everyone who reviewed the pretty much pointless chapter before this.


	13. Epilogue: Thanksgiving

Troy Bolton leaned back in the overstuffed arm chair and closed his eyes. The echoing sounds of the children's joyful yells bounced off the wall. The arguing voices of women filtered through the kitchen, and the yells of the men beside Troy made him smile. It was Thanksgiving, probably his favorite holiday.

Oh yeah. Lots of Turkey.

Troy opened his eyes and sat up. Chad, Jason, and Zeke stood up, jumped up and down, and screamed at the top of their lungs.

"GO, GO, GO!!!!" They pointed at the TV and jumped up and down. "YES! WHHOOOOHOOO!!!!"

"Excited, aren't you?" Taylor shouted from the kitchen. They stopped jumping and sat down, looking slightly embarrassed. Chad recovered first and leaned back on the couch.

"Dude, why don't they have Thanksgiving basketball?" Chad asked. Troy shrugged his shoulders and stood up, then stretched his arms. He made his way into the kitchen and walked up to the counter where the huge turkey was laying. He reached out and managed to knick a piece before his wife slapped his fingers away.

"Wait until we put it on the table," Gabriella Bolton said playfully.

"Aw… but I'm so hungry," Troy moaned, turning on the puppy dog eyes.

"Here," Gabriella tossed her husband a few mini carrots. "Eat this."

"Rabbit food," he muttered. But, despite his opinion, he bit into the carrot and chewed it.

Just then, a blonde blur ran past him. "Hey! Whoa!" Troy said, swooping the blonde blur up into his arms.

"Hi Daddy," the oldest Bolton child said.

"What's up, JJ?" Troy said to his four year old son.

The young boy wrinkled his nose. "I hate that name," he muttered.

"Blame your Uncle Chad. He gave you that nickname," Gabriella butted in. Jack Junior wiggled free of his father's arms and ran into the living room, screaming Chad's name.

"You know that Chad's gonna get pissed at you," Troy said with a smile.

"Serves him right," Gabriella shot back. "That's what he gets for putting my youngest child on a sugar high last week. I couldn't get her to sleep!"

Troy chuckled and looked around. "Where is Izzy, anyway?" The two year old Bolton girl seemed to be missing from the Bolton, Danforth, Evans, Baylor, and Cross clan.

"She's out back with Danny-Lynn, Preston, and Payton," Sharpay shouted out.

"Thanks Shar!" Troy called out. He walked out to the large Danforth backyard and watched as his youngest, the youngest Baylor, the youngest Evans, and the youngest Danforth ran around the yard, chasing each other. He smiled and leaned against the doorway, watching them. Suddenly, Isabella spotted her father and trampled up on the deck.

"Daddy!" she shouted, hugging his leg.

"Hey Princess!" Troy swung her up into his arms as he had done with Jack. "Are you having fun?"

"Yeah!" She kicked her legs in an attempt to get down. Troy chuckled and set his dark-haired rocket on the ground, and she shot off back to her friends.

Two arms snaked around Troy's waist and a chin rested on his shoulder.

"What'cha looking at?" Gabriella's said.

Troy smiled and turned around. "The kids," he said. "My family, my beautiful wife."

Gabriella lightly smacked his arm. "You suck up. You just want a kiss."

Troy waggled his eyebrows. "Do I get one?"

Gabriella raised an eyebrow. "Maybe." She leaned up and kissed him. "Does that satisfy you?"

"Maybe." Troy leaned in and kissed her again, this time making the kiss deeper.

"The turkey's ready!" Taylor's voice interrupted the kiss. They sighed and pulled apart.

"Taylor," Gabriella said. "You've been hanging around Chad way too much."

Taylor smirked and turned away, walking back into the dining room. Troy pouted.

"She did that on purpose," he accused. Gabriella kissed him softly.

"We'll finish this later tonight," she whispered. She turned around and walked into the dining room, swinging her hips playfully.

Troy shook his head and called the kids in. They raced in and Troy shut the door behind them. He found his seat next to Gabriella and pulled his chair in. He surveyed the table.

Directly across from him were his children, Jack and Isabella. Next to them were the Baylor children: three year old Tyler and two year old Danny-Lynn. Next to them were the Cross children: three year old Julia and one year old Benjamin. At the end were the Evans children: four year old Preston, and three year old Katherine. On the opposite end were the Danforth children: four year old Logan, three year old Alan, and two year old Payton. The parents were intermixed with their children.

Ryan scooted over so his wife could put the mashed potatoes next to the turkey.

"Thanks, babe," Maddie said, giving him a quick kiss. Ryan returned it.

"Anytime." He turned and began to talk to Chad. Jason was talking to Zeke, and that left Troy to observe once more. Sharpay and Maddie had already gotten into a heated debate about what tasted better: mashed potatoes or sweet potatoes. Taylor, Kelsi, and Gabriella were talking about the latest season of Lost. Troy smiled and closed his eyes.

Suddenly, he felt someone nudging him in the side. "Gravy?" Gabriella had broken off from the conversation and was now holding out the gravy container.

Troy nodded. "Sure." He took the spoon and began to scoop out the gravy, when, suddenly, Gabriella's voice cut through the air.

"Izzy! Put the potatoes down. _Now_." Troy turned to see his daughter holding up a handful of mashed potatoes and aiming for Logan's afro. She smirked at her mother before launching the potatoes into Logan's hair.

Logan's head snapped up, a piece of turkey hanging from his mouth. "Hey!" he shouted, glaring at Isabella. She stuck her tongue out at him and returned to eating her food, but a piece of cranberry sauce slapped her in the face.

"Logan Troy Danforth! We do not throw food at our cousins!" Taylor shouted, reaching over to remove the cranberry sauce for Isabella's plate.

"She started it!" Logan pouted. His mother opened her mouth to scold him some more, but a piece of turkey hit Logan right in the face. Isabella tried to put on her best innocent face, but failed miserably. Her blue eyes were flashing with mischief.

"That's it!" Logan yelled. He scooped up a handful of corn and threw it, but missed and hit Jack. Jack didn't waste any time in throwing some sweet potatoes, but he missed. He hit Payton instead. Soon, a large food fight broke out, and the parents watched their children in amazement. Troy got an idea. He scooped up some mashed potatoes…

…and splattered it on his wife's head.

Her eyes went wide she gasped, and then turned towards Troy. "Oh, you're gonna get it, Bolton," Gabriella growled. The next thing he knew, a pie was right in his face. The adults joined in on the food fight, and pretty soon the whole Danforth dining room was covered in Thanksgiving food. Gabriella kissed Troy and smiled. She pulled back, watching Isabella climb up onto the table and pelt everyone with food.

"She's definitely your daughter," she said to Troy.

"I don't know," Troy replied. "She has her mother's attitude."

"She has your aim," Gabriella retorted.

"You're daughter is going to make a great basketball player!" Chad announced, picking a piece of turkey out of his hair. The table erupted in laughs, and then food was flying again.

The memory of what happened in Boston was distant now; had been for the past five years. Every now and then, though, they went to the Tipton… just as a reminder. Family never _truly_ left you. No matter what they did or what they're going to do. They all learned that a long time ago.

Suddenly, a piece of turkey hit Troy in the face.

Oh yeah. Thanksgiving was his favorite holiday.

Author's Note: I managed to reach over 1000 with my pointless fluff… hoped you liked it! This is the end of Breaking Point… thank you to everyone who reviewed and stuck with the story all the way. You know who you are!


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